War is raging between the Immortals and the Dark Prince’s army of half-breed vampires — and gifted Ella finds herself at the center. Can renegade half-breed vampire Kale keep her safe as their forbidden love awakens? After a fatal hit and run accident, Ella Monroe fears that she’s lost more than her beloved parents. Horrifying visions of a past life and a disturbing voice in her head have psychiatric professionals convinced that she’s lost her sanity as well. But when Kale–a dark and handsome stranger with a mysterious past–reveals the true meaning of her visions and the tremendous power she wields through them, Ella must come to terms with the devastating truths of her own past, while eluding an ancient Dark Prince who seeks to control not only her future.

The snow was deep, and the air so cold that he felt the wind’s sharp teeth pierce his skin. In the distance, someone was burning wood. The scent was strong and familiar. It reminded him of his home so long ago with Illiana and Agnes. He couldn’t afford to be disrupted by their memory. At one point, his actions had been for their survival. The need for bloodshed and vengeance once weighed heavy on his mind. He hadn’t intended to become the monster they’d claimed him to be, but now he prided himself on the names they called him. His personal favorite was the Dark Prince. He was not royalty, but his name would never be forgotten, nor could he forget the reason he’d become the man he was today. His men, through his connection to the Arc, had traced her to a state on the east coast. Their bond had grown stronger because of her visions, which had become longer and fiercer. It pleased and excited him to know how close they were to finding her exact location. It wouldn’t be much longer.

The Council was close on his heels. He and his men had reduced their numbers, but they remained quite bothersome. He never understood why their leader would not create more Immortals, as he had done. His brand of Immortals was vastly different than himself and the Council. He’d found a great use in half-breed vampires, or Chorý, even though they were not as powerful as a pure blood. They were still physically challenging to the younger Eternals. Ancient Eternals such as himself and the leader of the Council could crush a half-breed without breaking a sweat. Because they were not accepted by their own kind and unable to inform humans of their existence, half-breeds were very easy to control, especially when rewarded with acceptance.

The Dark Prince returned to his room and closed the balcony door. Darke, the first in command in his arsenal of Chorý, waited for him in the office. The Dark Prince removed his coat and placed it gently on the chair in front of Darke. He wouldn’t invite the man to sit. He wouldn’t provide even that small comfort until his job was completed.

“News?” he demanded.

Darke bowed his head and placed his arms at his sides. “Sir, we have tracked her to a city called Virginia Beach, but she is no longer there. We searched her home, and though it’s still furnished, it looks abandoned. It’s because of her parents’ demise that we believe her connection to you had begun.”

The Dark Prince already knew the cause of the initial connection, and he would use that to his advantage once he found her, but curiosity didn’t allow him to remain silent. “What has become of the girl?”

“She was sent to a facility for the mentally insane, sir.”

“What?” the Dark Prince bellowed. Surprised at his own outburst, he calmed himself and sat.

The Dark Prince had chosen Darke to lead his men because of his fearlessness and vicious battle tactics. Darke’s discomfort didn’t go unrecognized by Laurent.

Darke shifted his stance and cleared his throat before he continued. “Sir, if I may? This could be good for you. She may feel alone at a time such as this and need only for someone to accept her.”

There were times that the half-vampire was of more use to him than he’d like to admit. The girl would be an outcast amongst her own kind. He would exploit that insecurity as he had done to so many others—it would be perfect. Illiana had once called him ‘gentle devil’ because of his ability to lead an opponent to their death while pretending to cushion the fall. Suddenly, the air around him was thick with the scent of roses and sandalwood. It was her scent. Each Arc had a unique scent. The new Arc’s essence was delectable. The aroma of roses was light and innocent while the sandalwood was as strong and fierce as her power.

Author Bio:

Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble.